Unbelievably delicious scones loaded with apples and salted caramel in the dough and glazed over the top. These are the perfect treat for breakfast on a crisp fall morning!
The flavor of these scones is truly amazing and one of my favorite apple dessert recipes. They’re such a comforting treat. I was excited to have these for breakfast the next day after I made them, but I was too naive to think that they would last for more than 24 hours.
Tips for making the best scones
There are 2 common methods for cutting scones.
The first is traditional rounds, which are made by patting the dough into a 1-inch thick circle, then cutting out pieces using a biscuit cutter. This method will leave you with some extra dough that you’ll then need to press back into another piece and repeat the process.
The second method leaves you with no leftover dough. Simply tap the dough into a circle, then cut it into 8 wedges, like a pizza. This yields 8 large scones. For 12 smaller scones, you can cut the dough into two, then pat each half into a circle and cut into 6 wedges. The only rule is that each circle should be 1-inch thick (or you can experiment with that and make them thinner or thicker as you like). If you make smaller scones you might need to reduce the baking time.
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Making scone dough
Dough can be tricky. If the dough doesn’t come together easily or if it’s too dry and crumbly, add a bit of water. If the dough is too wet and sticky, making it hard to handle, add a bit of flour. It’s super important to avoid overworking the dough as much as possible, though, because the less mixing you do, the softer and lighter the scones will be.
Use cold ingredients when making scones, otherwise the butter will melt fast and the dough will be messy and hard to work with. I place both the flour and sliced butter in the freezer for 15 minutes before making the dough, and use very cold heavy cream too.
Salted Caramel Apple Scones
Made with salted caramel in the dough and drizzled on top, these apple scones are moist and delicious. One of my favorite fall treats.
Ingredients
For the Salted Caramel Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) butter
- 3 tablespoons (35 g) brown sugar
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon (100 ml) heavy cream
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- flaky salt for sprinkling, optional
For the Scones:
- 2 cups (280 g/10 oz) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ cup (50 g/1.7 oz) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (75 g/2.6 oz) cold butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces
- ¼ cup Salted Caramel Sauce
- 1 medium apple
- 8-9 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
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To make the caramel sauce:
Put the butter, sugar and cream in a pan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens. Add the salt and set aside to cool.
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To make the scones: In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and sugar. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or use your fingertips to rub in the butter, until the mixture resembles fine crumbs, and there are small uneven pieces of butter throughout.
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Peel, core, and finely chop the apple. Add the apples and ¼ cup of the caramel sauce to the scone mix, reserving the rest to glaze the scones after baking.
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Add milk, and mix with a rubber spatula or use your hands to make a firm dough. If dough is too crumbly, add more milk as needed. Don’t overmix.
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Transfer dough to a floured surface and pat dough into a 8-inch (20 cm) circle, about 1-inch thick. Cut circle into 8 even wedges.
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Place scones on prepared baking sheet, 2-inches apart. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden, cooked through, and springy to the touch.
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Transfer scones to a wire rack and leave to cool, then glaze them with reserved caramel sauce. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
Scones are best eaten the same day they are made, but leftovers can be frozen for 2 months. Reheat in the oven before serving.
Recipe is adapted from Book of Scones by Sarah Clelland
Miriam @ Foodie Tel Aviv says
These look delicious Shiran! I love that there’s real apple in them. What kind of apple did you use?
Shiran says
Hi Miriam, I used pink lady and granny smith. Both were delicious!
Coco says
Hi can you made a video of baking this dessert ?? I’m super willing to try to bake this !
Kathy says
Have you tried mixing and cutting the dough into shape, and then freezing until ready to bake? I just bought frozen ready to bake, but would love to keep some homemade in my freezer.
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Hi Kathy, I haven’t tried that yet, but it seems simple enough. I’m sure you could freeze it and bake later!
Frogmountain says
The ingredients list says 1 apple, but in the directions and comments you refer to apples, plural. Should we use more than 1 apple?
Shiran says
You need to use just 1 apple.
Terry says
These look absolutely decadent! So glad I started following you on IG, and thus arrived here.
I do have a couple of questions, though. Have you ever tried the scone/biscuit method published by Epicurious about 15 years ago? Instead of frozen butter and really cold cream, you do something almost totally opposite. You put your cream in the freezer about 15 minutes before you start baking, and melt your butter in the microwave. Then, pour the butter into the cream and stir it with a fork. It immediately forms fat globular, which you then just stir into the dry ingredients. No more cutting in. It’s a game changer!
My 2nd question is an old woman, just being nosy, after reading the “About Me” section. How did a nice woman from Minnesota end up taking over a site started in Israel – the other side of the world, for heaven’s sake? I probably couldn’t find one if it was down the street, should I be so inclined – which I’m definitely not! Like I said – nosy old woman 🤗 Thanks, and blessings to you and yours! It’s Thanksgiving today, here in Canada 🇨🇦, so lots to do, and it’s already 6:42am!
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Hi Terry, thank you so much for your kind words. I have never tried the Epicurious scone/biscuit method, but from how accurately you described it, I can totally see how that works super well. I’ll give it a go the next time I make biscuits!! And your second question is great – it was sort of a “right place, right time” situation. My husband and I had been searching for a food blog to take over and found this one listed online for sale. After meeting the previous owners and connecting, they decided I was the perfect fit to take over. We still stay in contact 🙂 I hope you had a great Thanksgiving! Looking forward to ours here soon.